**spoiler alert** Having read "In Cold Blood" last year, I gave this a try. I read "The Firm" years ago, flushed it down the toilet upon finishing it**spoiler alert** Having read "In Cold Blood" last year, I gave this a try. I read "The Firm" years ago, flushed it down the toilet upon finishing it and have ignored Grisham ever since, so I was somewhat wary of this Truman Capote wanna-be book. I was pleasantly surprised. The story was well-paced and enough depth was given to the individuals depicted. I will likely give some of Grisham's novels another try now....more

A great introduction to both the mainstream and fundamental Mormon faiths. I felt the author did a good job from the beginning of differentiating betwA great introduction to both the mainstream and fundamental Mormon faiths. I felt the author did a good job from the beginning of differentiating between the two as well as identifying that all religions have fundamentalist/extremist wacko sects. It's no surprise that the LDS church takes issue with the book. Of course they want to control their own message about the Mormon faith. I don't think anyone inclined to seek more understanding about a faith would be dissuaded from reading just one book.

The book is divided into chapters dealing alternately with the murder committed by the Lafferty brothers and their subsequent legal proceedings, a glimpse into current practices within both the FLDS and LDS faiths, and a historical narrative or the founder of Mormonism and the early days of the religion. This works well and allows the reader to skim over those topics that may be less interesting. For me, the material dealing with the Lafferty brothers was a bit long. But then I'm not a huge fan of true crime books in general.

A collection of witty and literate personal ads. Very inconsistent, but there are some real winners in the bunch. Most tend toward the extremes of narA collection of witty and literate personal ads. Very inconsistent, but there are some real winners in the bunch. Most tend toward the extremes of narcicism or self-depracation, and are the best of the bunch. This isn't a book that you so much read as it is one to have sitting around when guests are over....more

I read this a few years back and hadn't been able to recall the title until Postville popped up in this week's Time magazine. It's a fascinating read,I read this a few years back and hadn't been able to recall the title until Postville popped up in this week's Time magazine. It's a fascinating read, reinforcing again that extremists are a part of all religions....more

What's not to like? Bill Bryson's humerous and insightful memoir on growing up in Des Moines in the 50s. A memoir with a refreshing absence of drunkenWhat's not to like? Bill Bryson's humerous and insightful memoir on growing up in Des Moines in the 50s. A memoir with a refreshing absence of drunken fathers, molesting uncles or copius drug use (unless you count Bryson's suspicious fondness for grape Nehi).

As with all of his travel writing, he leaves you curious to find out more about the various topics he covers, among them Lincoln Logs, comic books, old movie theaters, atomic bombs and juvenile delinquency. As an added bonus, we learn even more about Katz.

This book was given to me by my mother-in-law on my birthday, so naturally I went into this one kicking and screaming. It wasn't something I activelyThis book was given to me by my mother-in-law on my birthday, so naturally I went into this one kicking and screaming. It wasn't something I actively was trying to avoid; in fact I'd never heard of it before. The book just looked like it was going to be one of those shmaltzy "Chicken Soup" type book. My mother-in-law explained to me that it was the last lecture given by a Carnegie Mellon professor after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was very inspirational. Ugh. Even worse now . . . it was going to be filled with folksy wisdom from a man facing certain death. Now it was sounding shmaltzy AND morose.

Well, I decided to give it a try at least so that I could tell The Old Battle Axe* I'd read it. I was quickly absorbed. Yes, it's full of folksy wisdom from a man facing certain death, but what could be more relevant? Randy Pausch is a very smart and very wise man indeed. Yes, his secrets for living seem very basic, but how many of us actually stop to enjoy life as often as we should? Do we prioritize the right things? Do we place too much stock in the wrong things? There is much to be learned from this book. Not all of his musings will necessarily apply to everyone, but I think you'd be hard pressed to refute much of what he proposes.

This book actually makes a great companion piece to Bill Bryson's "The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid." Both books celebrate such simple things in life and both authors seem to be truly happy individuals.

Read this one, even if you skim parts. You'll be glad you did.

*The Old Battle Axe is actually a term of endearment here, which my mother-in-law many years ago shortened to TOBA. My five year old daughter refers to her as Grandma TOBA, without knowing exactly what TOBA means. I'm open to suggestions for a more granddaughter-appropriate acronym!...more

In my ongoing exploration of emotional intelligence, I decided to give this book a try in an effort to build my own skills at recognizing and respondiIn my ongoing exploration of emotional intelligence, I decided to give this book a try in an effort to build my own skills at recognizing and responding to social situations. I learned early into reading this that I had chosen the wrong book. Goleman goes into a fair amount of depth explaining the neurological basis for our emotional reactions to social stimuli, but doesn't extend the discussion to how we can build the ability to read social situations and modulate our own behaviors and responses to elicit a desired outcome. Admittedly, once I realized my error I skimmed the rest of the book, so I may have missed something....more

I'd like to think that Ms. Poundstone could appreciate the circumstances under which I read this book. I was at a bag sale at a local library, at whicI'd like to think that Ms. Poundstone could appreciate the circumstances under which I read this book. I was at a bag sale at a local library, at which I had the opportunity to fill up a shopping bag for just $1. Glancing at the table, I noticed a travel book that caught my attention, figured it was worth a buck, figured I could probably fill the bag with any old crap and even if I never read the other books I'd still have that travel book.

That being said, I do enjoy Ms. Poundstone on NPR's "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me". I vaguely recalled some controversy with her in the 80s or 90s, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what the issue was. This memoir helped to clear up some of my blindness with regard to the history of Paula, and in the end I'm glad I read it. The format, interspersing her own autobiography/jokes with the biographies of famous individuals (Joan of Arc, Beethoven, Sitting Bull), is a bit odd (and ultimately unnecessary) but really just translated into a bunch of skimming.

Not as spellbinding as the book written by the Russian WWII soldier(which title I can't remember), but interesting nontheless. It was nice to finish tNot as spellbinding as the book written by the Russian WWII soldier(which title I can't remember), but interesting nontheless. It was nice to finish this depiction of mostly dysfunctional infantrymen then turn on the news and hear of the navy seals sharpshooters pegging the Somali pirates. This is just one picture of the military, and it's not a pretty one. These soldiers seem to make their own hell in bowing to the least common denominator, though Rico seems thoughtful enough and tries to maintain his individuality and humanity....more

An amazing southern journey through the past and present of the Civil War. Along the way we meet die-hard re-enactors, the oldest living confederate wAn amazing southern journey through the past and present of the Civil War. Along the way we meet die-hard re-enactors, the oldest living confederate widow, slavery deniers, rednecks, patriots, racial divisions, a Scarlett O'Hara impersonator and possibly the coolest general store/museum on the planet. In the process, we learn that history is not static; the multitude of interpretations, re-interpretations and myth-busting corrections offers a fascinating and at time terrifying picture of how far, or how little, we've progressed as a country....more

What a fantastic book! I picked this one up thinking it would be about the Tarahumara and possibly impart some helpful wisdom to my newly run-crazed sWhat a fantastic book! I picked this one up thinking it would be about the Tarahumara and possibly impart some helpful wisdom to my newly run-crazed self. It was and it did, though not necessarily in the way I'd thought it might. The technical wisdom is there, scattered throughout a journey encompassing both extreme running locations and extreme individuals; providing a more inspiring whole than I'd imagined possible in a book focusing on one of our most basic animal instincts.

We may have been born to run, but we've been bred to loaf (no pun intended). This book makes a compelling argument for returning to our base instincts, getting off the couch (out of the car, out of the elevator, etc.) and embracing the joys of running - better health, stress reduction, community, discovery and inspiration....more

I'd like to say I devoured this book - it seems fitting. But I didn't. I took little nibbles here and there. It's one of those odd Trader Joe's snacksI'd like to say I devoured this book - it seems fitting. But I didn't. I took little nibbles here and there. It's one of those odd Trader Joe's snacks that seems like it might be great, but is merely aaaight. Not great, not bad, so you keep on nibbling until you've finished almost the whole thing - then you throw away the last 1/10.

I can't say I learned anything new about competitive eating. I already felt it was a pointless, strange endeavor pursued by the curious and the occasional offbeat fanatic. This book reinforced that belief.

I was hoping for more content related to the digestive system - effect of rapid overeating, effect of prolonged competition, negative side-effects, etc. - but there was very little. What WAS present was fascinating; I just wish there was more of it....more

While the 80s are often looked back upon as vacuous and somewhat cheezy, they were a fantastic era in which to come of age. This book celebrates whatWhile the 80s are often looked back upon as vacuous and somewhat cheezy, they were a fantastic era in which to come of age. This book celebrates what was an amazing decade in music. Hair metal, new wave, synth-pop, early rap, the advent of MTV, video games . . . we had it all. It's ironic that the pre-internet 80s was so much more daring and progressive than the 00s and early 10s.

Music has played an integral role in my life. From my early days raiding my mom's record collection (Elvis, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin) to my pre-teen love of disco (Donna Summer, Bee Gees, roller disco), through my high school and college years in the 80s, my non-stop party years in the 90s, right up to the present day, music has been my inspiration, my prozac, my refuge and my celebration. Rob Sheffield knows what it means to hear a song and be instantly transported back to a time and place, and he articulates it well in this book.

The latter third of the book gets off track just a bit, just like a good 80s pop group that perhaps went on a bit too long. In that sense I'd rather this be the literary equivalent of Haysi Fantayzee rather than Tiffany. Still, it's a joyous read dedicated to music that those of us who recall the absurdity of Bill Cosby's sweaters, Don Johnson's Miami Vice look and A Flock of Seagulls' haircuts are not afraid to celebrate....more

I was drawn to this one by the parallels between Scott Simon's adoption experience and my own. We've both adopted 2 girls from China and both followedI was drawn to this one by the parallels between Scott Simon's adoption experience and my own. We've both adopted 2 girls from China and both followed the same process with our first and second. The experience and emotions that I encountered in these processes are expertly explained through Mr. Simon's direct and engaging prose.

This book could have covered only the author's experiences and viewpoints, and I would have been happy. But the book took some unexpected turns in describing other adoptions and the experiences of adoptees and adoptive parents alike. It's a book that lives up to it's subtitle "In Praise of Adoption"

Like Mr. Simon, I too wish that all couples would explore adoption as one of many options in building a family, and not only as a feasible option once all others have been exhausted. For my wife and I, adoption was our first consideration, and I can't imagine a life without the fruit of that decision amazing and befuddling me every day....more

Interesting read. Chapters range from somewhat technical discussions of shrimp biology to tales of the shrimping industry to the history of shrimping.Interesting read. Chapters range from somewhat technical discussions of shrimp biology to tales of the shrimping industry to the history of shrimping. Sounds kinda boring described like that, but it's more engaging than you'd think. The book is paced nicely and you skip entire chapters if you're not interested in a particular topic....more

A fantasticly written book, proving that truth really is stranger than fiction. The author meticulously pieces together military and public records wiA fantasticly written book, proving that truth really is stranger than fiction. The author meticulously pieces together military and public records with diary and first-hand accounts to build a suspensful reveal of the remarkable events that merely begin with a military plane crash landing in a remote region of New Guinea. The survivors embark on their incredible journey, and Zuckoff puts you right with them.

But the journey alone is not all the story. Zuckoff includes chapters giving the backstories of, among other things, the first Filipino paratrooper outfits and the odd career path of a hollywood filmmaker. These asides bring historical and personal context to the greater story and are wonderful historic readings in and of themselves.

The end of the tale and epilogue are no less fascinating and fantastical. Overall, an amazing read....more

I'm not entirely sure what purpose this memoir is supposed to serve. As a guide to men for spotting and picking up manic women, it succeeds enormouslyI'm not entirely sure what purpose this memoir is supposed to serve. As a guide to men for spotting and picking up manic women, it succeeds enormously. As an insider's glimpse of bipolar disorder, it reads more like a series of war stories than any serious dissection. Perhaps that's the point . . . the world loves a good war story, stories I'm sure the author has been barred from telling in therapy and just needed to get out. In that sense it's very self-serving; more or less a vehicle for the author to repeatedly tell us how successful and sexy she feels herself to be. This is the book you pick up and read after having one too many beers, but then slink out of the bedroom the next morning when you find it on your nightstand....more